Universal water condition monitoring device

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a water condition monitoring device and related methods of use that significantly reduce the cost of the water condition monitoring devices by replacing the expensive and bulky multiple sensor electrodes of currently available devices with a single set of two or three metal electrodes to detect and/or measure such water quality parameters as pH, electric conductivity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen content. A microcontroller activates each sensor one at a time in a continuous loop, processing the sensor signals into near real time water condition data, which may be stored, displayed, or sent to a remote location for storage or display.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A water condition monitoring device comprising:
 a pair of metal electrodes comprising a first metal electrode and a second metal electrode, wherein said first and second metal electrodes are made from different conductive metals; 
 a pH sensing unit coupled to said pair of electrodes for sensing the pH of a sample; an electrical conductivity sensing unit coupled to said pair of electrodes for sensing the electrical conductivity of a sample; and 
 a microcontroller, coupled to said pH sensing unit and said electrical conductivity sensing unit. 
 
     
     
       2. The water condition monitoring device of  claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensing unit coupled to said first or said second metal electrode for sensing temperature and said microcontroller. 
     
     
       3. The water condition monitoring device of  claim 1 , further comprising a dissolved oxygen sensing unit coupled to said pair of metal electrodes, a third electrode, and said microcontroller. 
     
     
       4. The water condition monitoring device of  claim 2 , further comprising a dissolved oxygen sensing unit coupled to said pair of metal electrodes, a third electrode, and said microcontroller. 
     
     
       5. The water condition monitoring device of  claim 1  wherein said first metal electrode further comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of copper, zinc, nickel, platinum, silver, gold, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       6. The water condition monitoring device of  claim 1 , wherein said second metal electrode further comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of copper, zinc, nickel, platinum, silver, gold, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       7. The water condition monitoring device of  claim 1 , further comprising a display coupled to said microcontroller. 
     
     
       8. The water condition monitoring device of  claim 1 , further comprising an interface for storage or display of measured pH, electrical conductivity, temperature and/or dissolved oxygen values at a remote location. 
     
     
       9. A method of monitoring water conditions using a single set of metal electrodes comprising:
 placing a pair of metal electrodes comprising a first metal electrode and a second metal electrode in a quantity of water to be monitored, wherein said pair of electrodes are coupled to a plurality of sensors, each sensor measuring an attribute of the water to be monitored using said pair of metal electrodes and said first metal electrode and said second metal electrode are made from different conductive metals; and 
 sequentially activating each one of said plurality of sensors to measure each attribute of the water to be monitored and generating a corresponding output voltage. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of monitoring water conditions of  claim 9 , wherein said plurality of sensors are coupled to a microcontroller, said method further comprising:
 sending the output voltage produced by each one of the plurality of sensors to the microcontroller; and 
 comparing the output voltage of each sensor to a corresponding table of known attribute values to find an attribute value that corresponds to the output voltage. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of monitoring water conditions of  claim 10 , further comprising
 storing or displaying the attribute value that corresponds to the output voltage of the sensor. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of monitoring water conditions of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a pH sensor for measuring the pH of the water using said pair of metal electrodes and an electrical conductivity sensor for measuring the electrical conductivity of the water using said pair of metal electrodes, said method further comprising:
 sending a signal activating said pH sensor and causing it to measure the voltage difference between said first metal electrode and said second metal electrode of said pair of metal electrodes and generate a first output voltage corresponding to the pH of the water; 
 transmitting the first output voltage to a microcontroller; 
 converting the first output voltage to a corresponding pH value in said microcontroller; 
 storing or displaying said corresponding pH value; 
 sending a signal deactivating said pH sensor; 
 sending a signal activating said electrical conductivity sensor and causing it to apply an AC voltage across said first and second metal electrodes of said pair of metal electrodes, thereby generating a second output voltage that is proportional to the electrical conductivity of the water; 
 transmitting said second output voltage to said microcontroller; 
 converting said second output voltage to a corresponding electrical conductivity value in said microcontroller; 
 storing or displaying said electrical conductivity value; and 
 sending a signal deactivating said electrical conductivity sensing unit. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of monitoring water conditions of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of sensors for measuring an attribute of the water to be monitored further comprise a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the water, said temperature sensor coupled to one of said first and second metal electrodes of said pair of metal electrodes, said method further comprising:
 sending a signal activating said temperature sensor and causing it to apply a voltage to one of said first or said second metal electrodes of said pair of metal electrodes and to measure the resistance; 
 converting the resistance to a corresponding output voltage and sending said output voltage to the microcontroller; 
 converting said output voltage to a corresponding temperature value in said microcontroller; 
 storing or displaying said temperature value; and 
 sending a signal deactivating said temperature sensor. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of monitoring water conditions of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of sensors for measuring an attribute of the water to be monitored further comprise a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the water, said temperature sensor coupled to one of said first and second metal electrodes of said pair of metal electrodes for measuring the temperature of the water, the method further comprising:
 sending a signal activating said temperature sensing unit and causing it to apply a voltage to one of said first or said second metal electrodes of said pair of metal electrodes and to measure the resistance; 
 converting the resistance to a corresponding output voltage and sending said corresponding output voltage to the microcontroller; 
 converting said corresponding voltage to a temperature value in said microcontroller; 
 storing or displaying said temperature value; and 
 sending a signal deactivating said temperature sensing unit. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of monitoring water conditions of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of sensors for measuring an attribute of the water to be monitored further comprise a dissolved oxygen sensing unit for measuring the level of dissolved oxygen in the water using said pair of metal electrodes, the method further comprising:
 sending a signal activating said dissolved oxygen sensing unit and causing it to apply an oxidation potential voltage across said first and second metal electrodes of said pair of metal electrodes thereby causing the dissolved oxygen in the water to come out of solution; 
 measuring the voltage difference between the first metal electrode or the second metal electrode of said pair of metal electrodes and a third metal electrode and generating a corresponding output voltage; 
 transmitting said output voltage to the microcontroller; 
 converting said output voltage to a dissolved oxygen value in said microcontroller; 
 storing or displaying said dissolved oxygen value; and 
 sending a signal deactivating said dissolved oxygen sensing unit. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of monitoring water conditions of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of sensors for measuring an attribute of the water to be monitored further comprise a dissolved oxygen sensing unit for measuring the level of dissolved oxygen in the water using said pair of metal electrodes, the method further comprising:
 sending a signal activating said dissolved oxygen sensing unit and causing it to apply an oxidation potential voltage across said first and second metal electrodes of said pair of metal electrodes thereby causing the dissolved oxygen in the water to come out of solution; 
 measuring the voltage difference between the first metal electrode or the second metal electrode of said pair of metal electrodes and a third metal electrode and generating a corresponding output voltage; 
 transmitting said output voltage to the microcontroller; 
 converting said output voltage to a dissolved oxygen value in said microcontroller; 
 storing or displaying said dissolved oxygen value; and 
 sending a signal deactivating said dissolved oxygen sensing unit. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of monitoring water conditions of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of sensors for measuring an attribute of the water to be monitored further comprise a dissolved oxygen sensing unit for measuring the level of dissolved oxygen in the water using said pair of metal electrodes, the method further comprising:
 sending a signal activating said dissolved oxygen sensing unit and causing it to apply an oxidation potential voltage across said first and second metal electrodes of said pair of metal electrodes thereby causing the dissolved oxygen in the water to come out of solution; 
 measuring the voltage difference between the first metal electrode or the second metal electrode of said pair of metal electrodes and a third metal electrode and generating a corresponding output voltage; 
 transmitting said output voltage to the microcontroller; 
 converting said output voltage to a dissolved oxygen value in said microcontroller; 
 storing or displaying said dissolved oxygen value; and 
 sending a signal deactivating said dissolved oxygen sensing unit.